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w w w.in s i g h t o n m f g . c o m July 2015 • /INSIGHT ON MANUFACTURING | 23 By the NUMBERS Worldwide, mergers and acquisitions activity got off to a strong start in Q1 2015, but fell short of the near record transaction volume and value recorded in 2014. The number of transactions of $50 million or above edged down to 48, nearly 15% below the prior quarter, as reported by the Q1 2015 Global Industrial Manufacturing Industry Mergers and Acquisitions Analysis by PriceWaterhouseCoopers. But those figures still surpassed Q1 of 2014 by almost 30%. Overall, the U.S. economy has been steady with record levels of Q1 sees strong start, but global activity weighs on U.S. economy U.S. ports show growing economic impact The annual economic impact of U.S. seaports on the American economy in 2014 was $4.6 trillion, or one-quarter of the nation's economy. Since 2007, the economic impact of U.S. ports on the national economy has grown 43%. Jobs created by port-related activity grew to 23.1 million, up 74%. Tax revenues — federal, state and local — increased 51% to $321.1 billion. Wages and local consumption related to ports grew from $649 billion to $1.1 trillion. The average annual salary of people who are directly employed by port-related businesses was $53,723. The value of international cargo processed at U.S. ports increased by $400 billion to $1.8 trillion from 2007 to 2014. The Port of Green Bay provides $88 million in economic impact and supports more than 800 jobs. 49% 27% 24% 33% 29% 38% M A N U FA CT U R I NG / PR O CES S I NG G O V E R N M E N T / M I L I TA R Y 49% 27% 24% 33% 29% 38% 31% 29% 40% M A N U FA CT U R I NG / PR O CES S I NG G O V E R N M E N T / M I L I TA R Y W H O LESA LE / RE TA I L More manufacturers relocating employees According to a survey by Atlas Van Lines, 49% of firms saw relocation volumes increase in 2014. Half expect an increase in 2015. Nearly 500 corporate relocation professionals from various industries including manufacturing completed the survey. More than half of the companies have an international presence and relocate employees between countries. 49% 27% 24% 33% 29% 38% 40% M A N U FA CT U R I NG / PR O CES S I NG G O V E R N M E N T / M I L I TA R Y W ■ Less than 20 ■ 20-99 ■ 100 or more 2014 number of employees relocated optimism about the domestic outlook, according to PwC's quarterly Manufacturing Barometer survey. However, poor-to-mild economic activity across China, Japan and some areas of Europe impacted global activity. With that backdrop, volatility in commodity and currency prices hampered U.S. transaction activity, obscuring the growth outlook and appropriate pricing levels. Source: Martin Associates' 2014 National Economic Impact of the U.S. Coastal Port System and the Port of Green Bay Source: The 48th Annual Atlas Van Lines Corporate Relocation Survey